Today’s devotion builds on yesterday.
“And he killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.” 2 Samuel 23:21 (NASB95)
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2 (NASB95)
“For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11 (NASB95)
Day 6: Pruning the Giant (Removing the Co-dominant Stem)
Benaiah’s final recorded feat is perhaps his most impressive. He didn’t just survive a “snowy day” or a “lion”; he faced an “impressive” Egyptian. This wasn’t an opportunistic predator from the woods; this was a calculated, face-to-face confrontation with a man carrying a spear.
In our spiritual lives, the Egyptian represents our “flesh nature”—those “impressive” parts of our old self, our pride, and our self-will that stand in direct opposition to the Spirit. You cannot blame the winter or the weeds for the Egyptian; this is an internal battle. It is the part of you that wants to be its own master.
In botany, the most dangerous thing for a young tree’s future is not a weed or a deer—it is a Co-dominant Stem. This is when two main branches compete for the top spot. If left alone, they create a structural weakness that will eventually cause the tree to split in half during a storm. Dealing with this requires Structural Pruning: the aggressive removal of a massive branch to ensure the main leader (the Spirit) can reign supreme. In botany, a tree that is meant to become a “mighty oak” must undergo this process. If an arborist does not prune that impressive branch back, it will create “included bark,” a deep structural flaw that will cause the tree to literally pull itself apart as it grows.
Pruning a “giant” branch is exhausting, hands-on work. It’s not a quick snip; it requires a saw and a struggle. But notice what Benaiah did: he “snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.”
This is the secret to spiritual victory over the flesh. The very things the flesh uses against you—your intense energy, your strong will, your deep passions—is not meant to be destroyed, but to be redirected. God made you, and he doesn’t make mistakes–you are who you are for His divine plans and purposes. When you prune back the “wild” growth of the flesh, you are taking the energy that was feeding your dysfunction and redirecting it to your “central leader” through your union with Christ. Spiritual disciplines are the structural pruning required to kill the very nature that will ruin your growth.
As we move toward becoming those “oaks of righteousness,” we must submit to the Master Gardener’s shears. We must be willing to let Him cut away the “impressive” co-dominant stems of our own ego. It is painful for a moment, but it is the only way to ensure we have the structural integrity to support a lasting legacy.
Questions for Reflection:
- The Co-dominant Stem: What part of your “fleshly nature” is currently trying to compete with Christ for dominance in your life? What “branch” has grown too large and “impressive” for its own good?
- Plucking the Spear: Think of a passion or a trait (like stubbornness or intensity) that the enemy has used against you. How can you “snatch” that energy and redirect it toward serving God instead?
- The Pain of the Saw: Are you resisting the “Structural Pruning” in your life because it feels like you are losing a part of yourself? Can you trust that the Master Gardener is only cutting what would eventually cause you to split?
Heavenly Father, my Arborist,
I submit my life entirely to Your hands today. I confess that there are “impressive” parts of my flesh—my pride, my stubbornness, and my own self-will—that have grown like co-dominant stems, trying to compete with Your Spirit for the central leadership of my heart.
Lord, give me the courage to embrace Your structural pruning. I know the saw of spiritual discipline is painful for a moment, but I trust that You are only cutting away what would eventually cause me to split and break under the storms of life. Do not let the unchecked growth of my ego destroy the structure You are building in me.
Give me the strength of Benaiah to snatch the spear from my fleshly nature. Help me to take the intense energy, deep passions, and strong will You designed me with, and redirect them completely toward Your Kingdom. I want to be fruitful, Lord. Train me through this necessary discipline so that I can yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness and stand with the structural integrity of a mighty oak, leaving a lasting legacy for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tomorrow we will look at the Established Oak.
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